Marshawn Lynch loved the press — and Sizzler — as a prep

There was a day, not that long ago, when Marshawn Lynch truly enjoyed talking to the press. I know. I talked to him several times.

Those were his prep days, of course, while at Oakland Tech (Calif.).

The moment I recall most, in fact, was his final high school game, the 2003 Oakland Section championship or, as the folks around the East Bay know it — the Silver Bowl. It was played at the Oakland Coliseum, home of the NFL's Oakland Raiders.

Lynch, all of 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds back then, left a lasting impression with 233 rushing yards while scoring six touchdowns in a 55-47 win over heavily favored Skyline.



Afterward Lynch, never bashful with the press or among teammates, was a one-man show while being interviewed by longtime Bay Area broadcaster Robert Braunstein.

"If my lineman weren't so good — Oh my God, I don't know what (I would) do," he said. "And me, being as broke as I am, I'm about to find a way to treat my linemen to Sizzler."

He was hardly the Lynch criticized this week by the press for being un-cordial, guarded and aloof at Super Bowl Media Day. 

But facing a half-dozen prep writers compared to an army of national journalists week-to-week is like, well, facing a high school defense versus an NFL 11.

In just 10 games his senior year at Oakland Tech, Lynch rushed for 2,097 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.

In that final game, Tech rallied after trailing by two touchdowns late in the third quarter. A Lynch 46-yard touchdown run punctuated the win.



Lynch continued his standout performance after the game with reporters.

"When we went into halftime (trailing by eight points), we were smiling because we knew we were going to win," Lynch said.

Lynch and his cousin Virdell Larkins, in fact, had earlier that day watched the NFL Film's "Greatest Comebacks," and were inspired by the Music City Miracle when the Titans came back to beat the Bills.

"I told (Larkins) ‘That's what we're going to do (against Skyline)," Lynch said back then.

As he is now, Lynch was a punishing runner and also was a feared linebacker. He forced a fumble, setting up a touchdown in the win over Skyline.

He was an easy selection for East Bay Player of the Year and if we gave awards for most outspoken, unabashed and outgoing football player with the media, it would have been Lynch.